For Him
by Agonia
Summary: He had always been there for her. So now, it was time to return the favor in his hour of need.
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1 of 3****. **

She peered around another wall in the library, her hazel darting around the room. Her outside appearance remained calm, but with each empty hall she found, the more worried she grew. Despite her hopes, he was nowhere to be found. In fact, nobody was there. As far as Erza knew, she was the only occupant of the school's library. School had ended nearly four hours ago. The sky was lit in a pinkish glaze, painting the room in a soft light.

A soft sigh escaped her ample lips before as she readjusted her glasses and dress for what seemed like the millionth time that day. As the representative of the senior class, her appearance had to be professional at all times, even when no one was looking. This wasn't a big issue however, because of her upbringing in a strict house molded her into a strict lady. Due to having her hair in a tight bun, a creaseless blouse and skirt, and her mature, hourglass figure, Erza Scarlet came off as a woman, not some girl in high school.

It was only around him she could let loose. He didn't ogle her like other guys when she let her hair down into beautiful rose-colored waves, or unbuttoned her shirt until the top of her bra was showing on a hot afternoon. He only grinned his classical carefree smile, and saw her for who she was on the inside.

He wasn't smart, and could usually be found in class for students a year under him. He wasn't tall, and more often than not dwarfed by the football players girls would gossip about in the locker room during gym class. He didn't have slick, dark, combed back hair like the guys in the hottest movies, but rather a head of oddly colored spiky bangs. In short, he was far from perfect. That was, in everyone else's eyes.

But it was his heart that meant the world to her. Although it took him longer than others to learn, he still had a fiery passion to do his best, often spending hours with her to catch up. He made up for his lack of height with his bold voice, always there to defend those he considered family. And while others made fun of his odd hair color, Erza secretly found it unique and suiting him perfectly. More often than not, she found herself running her hairs through it when they were alone either working on homework or simply enjoying time together.

A small smile crept onto her lips as she reminisced about their times together. Her hands clasps softly behind her back as she continued to stride the halls. Even though she had yet to find him physically, she knew he would always be in her heart. Now, she had to give him the same strength he had given her.

It was Erza's time to be the hero.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2 of 3.**

"_Hey, Erza?"_

_She peered up from her calculus textbook, a neutral expression etched onto her face. "What, are you having trouble on the problem?"_

_Thanks to fate, they were able to have their lunch periods at the same time. Sitting on their couch on the second floor of the library, Erza had been helping him prepare for his upcoming math test next period. For the most part, he seemed to have an understanding of solving limit equations, but was still making the occasional mistake here and there._

_The couch was a colored with mixture of dark gray and ash, and could easily fit five people. However, nobody ever came up to the second floor of the library, probably because the teacher's lounge was on the same level and always containing that one strict teacher waiting to pounce on an unlucky student. So, they almost always had it to themselves. Their other friends were in different lunch periods. _

_The duo's backpacks were spread out on the carpet, and until he spoke, the only sound filling the room had been the scratching of lead against the paper. Unlike the other students she would tutor for extra cash, he never complained. Except for the occasional chat about life and friends, he was uncharacteristically quiet when she was teaching him. Any other time of the day, you'd find him complaining about the simplest of tasks._

"_No, it's not that. The answer was x equals 7, right?"_

_She glanced at the textbook once more. "Yeah. So what's your question?"_

"_Well, it's not exactly a question…"_

_She sighed whilst rubbing the bridge of her nose. It took a second to realize that her glasses weren't there, and instead were on the face of her best friend. Though she'd never admit it allowed, she blushed at the sight of him wearing her property. _

_It was something he would always do, and while most of the time she'd yank them back and scold him, she was too tired today. Last night had been jam-packed with homework, leaving her so exhausted she fell asleep in her uniform. But now, seeing him wear her glasses on was like a ray of sunshine in the dark._

_She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize his hand reaching up until it was place on her rosy cheek. Her body went rigid, and the textbook in her hands sprawled out into her lap. _

_Despite many of his actions being coarse and rough, he was surprisingly gentle as he rubbed his thumb gently across her flushed cheek. It was like she was the canvas, and he was Michelangelo, artfully taking the upmost care in his masterpiece. At least, that's what she hoped she was his eyes. Truthfully, she didn't know how long it lasted, yet yearned for more once he retracted his hand. _

"_You had some strawberry juice on your cheek from the cake you ate a lunch. I'm kinda surprised you never realized," He softly whispered into her ear, making the hairs on her neck stand up._

_It seemed like at that moment, her mind had gone blank. Had anyone else deemed it a good idea to touch her, she would have thrown them into the abyss without question. Except, this wasn't someone else, it was him. _

_Him, who had a heart of gold reserved just for her._

_Him, who was there to wipe the tears away. _

_Him, who would always be by her side no matter what._

_She softly smiled, and put the textbook that was once in her lap on the ground. Placing her hand on the same check, she could still feel the heat covering it like a wool blanket. His distinct smell, which was a mixture of campfire and s'mores, filled her nostrils. Intoxicating. Yes, that was the right word to describe it._

_She glanced over at him, taking in all of his physical features. His onyx eyes shinned brightly in the afternoon light, covered by the tips of his oddly colored hair. His red hoodie had long been discarded, and the plain white t-shirt he wore was like a second skin, allowing her an excellent view of his broad chest and well-built arms. At that moment, all she wanted to was snuggle the guy to death. _

_So yes, even the strictest of women have a soft side._

"_Thank you," She whispered so only he could hear. It was also directed at her brain, thanking it for making sure she didn't squeal like some little preteen girl. Instead, it came up with an alternative. "Are there any other problems you need help on?" _

_He smiled. "Yeah, you see this one? I think I've got the equation right, but I keep…"_

_And so, their brief moment of closeness passed, and things went back to normal. Although Erza was glad to continue helping her friend with studying, there was still a pull at the back of her mind, wondering if situations like what just occurred could become commonplace._

_At least her check still radiated heat from his sizzling touch._


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3 of 3.**

But now, she was cold.

She sat on the couch, alone, as the moon's light illuminated her figure. After scouring throughout the entire library, she'd come up empty in her search. Not even the innocent memories of them simply enjoying each other's company on this very couch could cheer her up anymore. Hopelessness began set in.

Her head, now feeling like lead, collapsed into her hands, and she began to sob uncontrollably. Tears trickled done her forearms, staining her tartan skirt.

It was rare for Erza to cry. While she did have anger management issues, they would never escalate to her bailing her eyes out. Not even in her most heated debates with other board members did she shed a single tear.

But this was _him_ for god's sake. He knew her inside and out like the back of her hand. No matter how many walls she'd put up, he would collapse them with ease. And now, he'd broken into both her heart and mind, bringing forth these uncontrollable emotions. If she tried to think about anything else, it would only round back to him.

Why did he hide himself away?

Why didn't he show up to their meetup after school like every other day?

Did he, not trust her? Was he, afraid of her?

Sure, sometimes Erza could lose her cool around him. But she would always apologize. At least, that's what she remembered. But maybe he never truly excepted them?

As these doubt began to set in, her wails only got worse. She fell sideways on the couch, and all the physical strength in her body was sapped away by her emotions. Part of her brain hated this, crying like such a child. It showed weakness. Instead of coming to a reasonable conclusion, she had immediately drawn a conclusion that something bad had happened to him. So much for having a tactical and well-thought-out approach.

"Erza?"

She wrapped her hands around her head, pushing down hard and curling into a ball, her entire body now trembling. She mentally screamed at her brain, begging it to make the voice go away.

"Erza? What's wrong?"

Wait, there it was again. But now, more clear.

Hesitantly, she pried open one eye. There before her, looking down at her in worry, was her best friend. His right eye was a mess of swollen purple skin, and the right sleeve of his shirt was slightly torn at the top.

He got down on one knee to her eye level, his backpack sliding off his shoulder and to the ground. Yet, he paid no attention to it. Only her.

Slowly, while still maintaining eye contact with her, he reached out with his hand towards her cheek. On instinct, she darted back further into the couch. Part of her wished it would swallow her whole.

"N-No…." Her voice was rasped and weak after her emotional spur.

"Erza," He didn't lower his hand. "Let me help you."

His voice was calm and one Erza knew too well. After days where she didn't get the grade she wanted on a test or had a bad board meeting, it was the voice he used to cheer her up. One that over the years, she realized he only used towards her, when it was just them. One that she bathed in pleasantly, soaking up every word into her brain like an untreatable addiction.

That same feeling was trying to wash over her. But she pushed it down. There was still too much to ask. "Where were you? You didn't show up, didn't answer my calls, nothing! Don't you remember our promise?" She said, her eyes narrowing on the young man before her.

Now, her emotions had gone from despair to anger. While her heart still ached from worry, her blood began to boil. Her mind was like a pendulum, swinging out of control between various emotions. Emotions that only he had the ability to bring forth.

Before he could answer, a sharp snap pierced the air. His head twisted to the side, as the sheer force of Erza's hand nearly plummeted him to the ground.

She slapped him.

It was no secret; Erza was a physical person. When her friends got too loud or rough around her, it was always Erza who quickly ceased the 'foolishness behavior', as she liked to think of it. But never did she give this kind of emotion behind it.

"Where were you?! I texted you, called you, looked all around this damn school for you! And now you show your face? Do you have any idea what you've done?!" She was up in his face now, her mouth mere inches away from his chased lips.

"For hours, I've been here. Not at the student council meeting. Not at home studying for my history test tomorrow. No! I was here looking for you, and now you just decide to show up out of the blue? Explain yourself, now!" She commanded, jabbing her finger into the center of his defined pecs.

A moment of silent passed, as her chocolate-colored orbs bored deep into his onyx ones. Her chest heaved up and down heavily, as her lungs struggled to recover from her frenetic rant. Her finger still remained on his chest, nail digging deep into the fabric. It was definitely going to the leave a mark on his skin.

Yet, no words came out of his mouth. Rather, he broke eye contact with her. For a moment she thought he was going to try and run away, until she saw his feet stay in place and his hand going into the pocket of his light blue jeans. He pulled out a fountain pen coated in hot pink. Her favorite color. She recognized it immediately.

"How did you…" She started, but he held his tanned hand up, cutting her off.

"I remember the day you first brought this to school," He softly chuckled, looking back on the fond memory. "It was a present from your grandfather for your 16th. You always brought it everywhere you went. You'd never let anyone else touch it, no matter how many times me and Gray begged ya."

He moved over to the couch and sat down, a small grunt escaping his lip in the process as his hand reached for his side. It was obvious he was in pain, yet tried his best to hide it from her. As he looked up her, he patted the empty cushion to his right. She accepted the offer and sat down next to him, though still avoiding eye contact with him. This wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. Both of them knew it.

"How did you find it? I thought I lost it." She murmured. Her hands tightened into fists on her pale thighs. It was by far her most prized possession, and it had been hard on her when she wasn't able to find it.

"It wasn't lost. Someone stole it," His lips turned into a frown. "I was in the locker room after gym class, mind my own business when the jocks at the other end of the room all started snickering like kids. Before anyone could ask, I saw a hand punch into the air, holding your pen. Turns out, one of them stole it, expecting you to 'suck them dry' for it back."

A single tear slowly trickled down his flushed, tan cheek. "Erza, ain't nobody got the right to say shit like that. You're not some damn toy for them to take pleasure in! You're a goddamn person, the sweetest and kindest one that'll ever walk this stupid planet. You don't belong to them! You b-belong…." He glanced at her for a second, both eyes now sporting waterfalls of pain. His teeth clenched tightly together, as though he were trying to hold himself back from screaming out. "You belong to yourself."

"I knew I had no chance at taking them all on. Hell, even only two of them could've beaten me into a pulp with ease. But I still lunged at them, not even thinking. All I remember is wanting to hurt them, because I knew you'd do the same for me. A couple coaches got involved, and in all the confusion I was able to swipe the pen back. It was my last class of the day, so I was able to leave before the jocks realized."

A moment of silence passed before Erza parted her lips. She knew he was in pain, but there were still questions that needed answers. "So, where have you been all afternoon?"

"After running for what seemed like forever, I stumbled into a closet somewhere in the main building and passed out. When I woke up, everything was pitch black. For a second there, I thought I was actually dead. Some dumbass I was," He softly chuckled, before continuing. "It didn't take long for me to realize that school was closed. I'd heard stories from Gajeel about there being a cop who roamed the halls after hours, and I no desire to stay around to see if his stories were true."

"So you came to the library?" Erza questioned.

"Not exactly. At first, I went out the parking lot and planned to call my parents for a ride. But when I saw that your car was still here, I knew I couldn't leave..." He paused and looked up to her, worry in his eyes. "It was then that I realized how stupid I was. I knew then you were probably still here, looking for my clumsy ass. So, I came to the one spot I hoped to find you at. Turns out, luck was on my side."

After he finished telling his side of the story, the two sat in silence. Erza was still trying to absorb everything her best friend had just said as various emotions rang out inside her head. Anger still boil within her due to his own stupidity of picking an unwinnable fight. But then, she was also proud of what he did. Her heart burned when she imagined the scene of her friend, boldly defending for her sake. Nobody outside of her immediate family showed affection for her like that. He'd gone in like he always did: blindly and lacking a plan. But that's what made him unique.

"Ya know, it's getting pretty late," He said softly. "Wanna blow this popsicle stand go have some fun?"

She turned to him and raised her eyebrow. "What kind of fun?"

He rose to his feet. "Anything to make ya smile again. I hate it when your unhappy, because that makes me sad. So I wanna make up this whole day to– "

The last words of the sentence were cut off by her soft lips crashing onto his. He froze for a second, his brain running in circles as it tried to process the beautiful girl before him.

She leaned deeper into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him closer. That seemed to pull him out of his blank state, and he in turn placed his arms over her shoulder and returned her affection with his own fiery passion.

By the time they pulled apart, both felt satisfied. It seemed as though a mental connection had aligned between them; no words were needed to explain how they felt. It wasn't like the sappy romance novels Erza read in her spare time, but in a way, simply being in his embrace was more than satisfying.

"I want you to hold me. Right here, right now. For as long as I want." She commanded, or at least tried to. Her voice came out soft and mumbling as a tear rolled down her cheek. She buried her face deep into his chest, trying to contain her embarrassment. But he knew. He always knew.

"Of course."


End file.
